Fruited Nut Biscotti Recipes

FRUITY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Put the flour, baking powder, spice and sugar in a large bowl, then mix well. Stir in the eggs and zest until the mixture starts forming clumps, then bring the dough together with your hands - it will seem dry at first but keep kneading until no floury patches remain. Add the fruit and nuts, then work them in until evenly distributed.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 pieces. With lightly floured hands, roll each piece into a sausage about 30cm long. Place 2 on each tray, well spaced apart. Bake for 25-30 mins until the dough has risen and spread and feels firm. It should still look pale. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack for a few mins until cool enough to handle, then turn down the oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1.
• Using a bread knife, cut into slices about 1cm thick on the diagonal, then lay the slices flat on the baking sheets. The biscuits can be cooled and frozen flat on the sheet at this point, then bagged and frozen for up to 2 months. Bake for another 15 mins (20 mins if from frozen), turn over, then bake again for another 15 mins until dry and golden. Tip onto a wire rack to cool completely, then store in an airtight tin for up to one month, or pack into boxes or cellophane bags if giving as gifts straightaway.

FRUITED NUT BARS (BISCOTTI)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Place nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake nuts for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Remove from oven and let cool. Chop into hearty sized pieces.
• Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and creamy. Add in vanilla extract and eggs.
• In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and spices
• In a third bowl, sprinkle a tablespoon of the flour mixture on top of the dried fruit and mix together. (This helps to keep the fruit from clinging together in a lump).
• Combine the rest of the flour into the butter, sugar and eggs. Fold in the fruit and nuts by hand.
• Divide the dough into two.
• On a greased, sprayed or lined cookie sheet place half the dough spreading out into a log 1/2 inch high, 1 1/2 inches wide and about 14 inches long. (Keep your ends a little squared off so you don't have itty bitty dried cookies from the end.) Repeat with second log allowing space between for the two logs to expand.
• Bake in the middle section of the oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned (also at 325 degrees). Let sit for a minute then remove to a rack for 5 minutes.
• Place logs on cutting board and using a serrated knife cut log into 1/2 inch pieces at a slight (45 degree) angle. Place the slices back onto the cookie sheet cut side up. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
• Allow cookies to completely cool before storing in a tightly covered tin. Stored well biscotti will last for a week or two.

CHOCOLATE NUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease and lightly flour cookie sheet.
• In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.
• Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in chocolate and nuts.
• Divide dough into two equal parts. On floured surface, shape dough into two logs, 14 inches long, 1-1/2 inches wide and 1 inch thick. Place two inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a cutting board. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut into 3/4 inch thick diagonal slices and return to cookie sheet, standing upright.
• Bake 10 minutes more or until slightly dry. Cool completely on wire racks.